Patients to be X-rayed on a tomographic scanner must be accurately vertically and horizontally positioned relative to the scanning tunnel and apparatus. Heretofore, all of such positioning apparatus has been permanently mounted relative to the scanner. The patients have been transported to the scanner on conventional hospital carts, necessitating considerable time to transfer the patient to the positioning apparatus and to adjust the patient to the required position upon it. This requires a multiplicity of transfers of the patient, and considerable machine time is consumed therein. An object of this invention is to provide an efficient patient handling system and apparatus for use in conjunction with a tomographic scanner which minimizes handling and transferring of the patient to be scanned and maximizes the scanning time available from the scanner.